Automatic vehicle-brake



(No Model.) 2 snee tksneet 1 .J. MUELLER.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

\Q\ :E J ==fil========== Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

=l I T 3 i (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. J. MUELLER. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

Patented Dec. 21', 1897.

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II Illai%i%llllllllllllllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MUELLER, OF LISBON, NORTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE-:BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,818, dated December 21 1897.

Application filed March 13 1897.

To all whom it may concerm.

Be it known that I, JOHN MUELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lisbon, in the county of Ransom and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Automatic Vehicle-Brake, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic vehicle-brakes.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of automatic vehiclebrakes and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one designed to be mounted wholly on the runningear of a vehicle, so as not to interfere with the removal of the body or box, and capable of operation by the back pressure of the horses in descending a hill, and adapted to relieve the wheels of the brake-shoes as soon as the vehicle reaches level ground.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for throwing the brake out of operation when it is desired to back a vehicle and to enable the brake to be readily adjusted to suit the adjustment of the running-gear when the same is lengthened or shortened and to render the brakeshoes adjustable, so that the wear can be readily taken up.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a reverse plan view of a running-gear provided with an automatic brake constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the slide which is engaged by the neck-yoke. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner of mounting the brake-rod. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view illustrat ing the manner of securing the brake-rod to the connecting-rod.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates a transversebrake-rod carrying brake-shoes 2 at its ends and suspended from a transverse supporting-bar 3, which is Serial No. 627,375. (No model.)

mounted on a running-gear 4 and secured to the rear hounds in advance of the rear axle. The brake-rod is provided at each side of the running-gear with angularly-disposed bends 5, which offset the outer portions of the brakerod and locate them, in advance of the central portion of the rod, and the said brake-rod is suspended from each end of the transverse bar by a pair of links 6, located at the front and rear edges of the transverse bar 3. The links are provided at their upper and lower ends with eyes, the lower ones receiving the brake-rod at the terminals of the bent portions and the upper eyes being linked in the perforations of plates 7, which are secured to the upper face of the transverse bar. The links permit the brake-rod to swing forwardly and rearwardly freely in the operation of the brake.

The brake-rod is prevented from shifting laterally of the vehicle by inclined brace-rods 8, secured at their upper terminals to the rear hounds, crossing each other directly beneath the reach and provided at their outer terminals with eyes 9, which embrace the brakerod at the forward terminals of the bent portions. These brace-rods hold the shoes 2 in proper alinement with the hind wheels and render their engagement positive.

The brake-shoes 2, which are disposed longitudinally, are arranged in clips 10, which permit the brake-shoes to be gradually ad-.

vanced toward the hind wheels as they become worn in order to take up the wear and enable the brake to engage the wheels properly at all times. After the brake-shoes have become entirely worn out they can be readily removed, so that new ones can be quickly supplied.

The clips 10, which embrace the brake-shoes, are substantially U-shaped, being threaded at opposite sides and extended through perforations of the brake-rod, and nuts are arranged on the threaded ends of the clips and engage the lower face of the brake-rod.

The brake-rod, which is operated by back pressure of the team, is connected witha slide 11 by an operating-rod, which is composed of front and rear sections 12 and 13 and an intermediate section 14:, which is arranged in a suitable guide 15 of the front axle and which is connected with the adjacent ends of the posed vertically to permit the connecting-rod to yield to the movements of the front axle in turning the vehicle.

The guide 15, which is substantially trianback with eyes, which are alined to receive the intermediate sect-ion of the connectingrod. supported by inclined braces 16, secured at their upper terminals to the front axle and at their lower ends to the guide.

The rear section 13 of the connecting-rod is provided at its lower face with a series'of notches 17, adapted to receive the brake-rod, which is retained in a notch by a fastening device 18, consisting of a pair of plates mounted on the brake-rod and receiving the rear section of the connecting-rod and a bolt or pin 19, which passes through the plates abovethe connecting-rod. The bolt or pin is secured in position by a split key, and it is adapted to be readily removed to enable the brake-rod to be moved backward and forward when it is desired to adjust the running-gear. The rear axle isprovided with a depending guide 20, which receives the rear portion of the connecting-rod.

The brake is normally held oif the wheels bya spiral spring 21, disposed on the central or intermediate section of the connecting-rod and arranged within the triangular guide 15. The spring 21 has its rear end engaging the guide, and its front end bears against a suitable stop of the connecting-rod, such stop being arranged adjacent to the front of the triangular guide and limiting the forward move ment of the connecting-rod.

The front end of the connecting-rodis pivoted to a slide 11, which is mounted at the front of the tongue or pole in suitable ways,

formed by a longitudinally-disposed loop 22. The loop 22, which is constructed of suitable metal, has the rear portions of its sides spread and secured to the front of the pole or, tongue, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. The sides of the loop,wl1ich extends in advance of the pole or tongue, are

provided at their outer faces with longitudinal ribs or flanges which strengthen the loop and prevent it from bending laterally. The slide, which is arranged between the sides of the loop, is provided at its top and bottom with horizontal flanges, and it has a depend ing perforated ear which is received in a bifurcation of the front end of the connectingrod. The neckyoke center engages a depending projection 23 of the slide, so that the backward pressure of the horses in descending an incline causes the connecting-rod to move rearward and apply the brake.

The sides of the triangular guide are When it is desired to 'throw the brake out of operation to back the vehicle, a pivoted dog 24, which is mounted on the rear end of the slide, is swung downward and backward into engagement with a notch 25 of the loop. This dog locks the slide against rearward movement and enables the vehicle to be backed freely without applying the brake.

It will be seen that the brake is purely automatic and positive and reliable in operation, that it is mounted wholly on the running-gear and is operative when the body or box is on the running-gear and also when it is removed therefrom to permit the runninggear to be employed for hauling other loads. It will also be apparent that as the spring is of just sufficient strength to hold the brakeshoes ofi the hind wheels when the vehicle is on level ground the brake will be applied at the slightest forward movement of the vehicle on the team and that it will counteract any sudden jerks of the team, as it will be applied when the vehicle is thrown forward.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim is 1 1. In an automatic vehicle-brake,the combination of a running-gear provided in advance of its rear axle, a transverse brake-rod located beneath the running-gear and provided at opposite sidesthereof with angular bends offsetting the outer portions from the central portion, links arranged in pairs, depending from the ends of the transverse bar and connected with the brake-rod at the said bends, the transverse braces inclining downward from the rear bounds to the brake-rod andsecured at their lower terminals to the same at the bends thereof, said brace -rods being crossed directly beneath the reach,and a yokeoperated connectingrod attached to the brake-rod, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic vehicle-brake,thecombination with a running-gear, of a transverse brake-rod suspended from the running-gear and carrying brake-shoes, a longitudinal connecting-bar provided with a series of notches adapted to receive the brake -rod, plates mounted on the brake-rod and embracing the connecting-rod, and a transverse pin or bolt passing through the plates and locking the brake-rod in a notch of the connecting-rod, substantially as described.

3. The combination with arunning-gear, of a transverse brake-rod suspended therefrom, a conn ecting-rod extending forward from the brake-rod to "the'front of the pole and adapted to be operated by a neck-yoke, said connectin -rod being provided in advance and in rear of the front axle with hinge-joints forming an intermediate section, an open guideframe provided with eyes receiving the intermediatesection of the connecting-rod, and a spring disposed on the connecting-rod, bear IIO ing against the back of the guide-frame and engaging the connecting-rod to hold the brake-shoes off the wheel, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic vehicle-brake,the combination with a running-gear, of a transverse brake-rod, a connecting-rod extending therefrom to the front of the pole, a loop mounted on the latter at the front end thereof, a slide arranged within the loop, provided with upper and lower flanges and pivoted to the connecting-rod, a projection depending from the slide and adapted to be engaged by a neckyoke, and a dog mounted on the slide and arranged to engage a notch of the loop, substantially as described.

5. In a vehicle-brake, the combination of a brake-rod provided with perforations, a lonmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in 30 the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MUELLER.

Witnesses:

S. FETTICK, W. A. PANNEBAKER. 

